Bike Reviews

When todays cyclists learned to ride, it was likely with training wheels—and a rough transition from the comforting thud of outriggers hitting the ground to riding sans safety net. Somewhere along the way someone thought to build a training bike, one without a drivetrain or pedals. These so-called kick bikes help kids learn to balance and glide, without concerning them with trivialities like pedaling, which will come later. Our tester found Burley’s take on the popular new category tough to push on grass, but quickly got the hang of the bike on a downhill, and it wasn’t long before she mastered a range of surfaces. The design is light and easy for a small child to move around, although potentially too small for a child older than four. Our test MyKick came out of the box almost completely assembled, which meant we were able to get it out and riding immediately. It also comes in lots of colors, sure to please a new cyclist. The only problem is the planned obsolescence—after only a brief test period, our rider loudly declared herself ready for a bike with pedals.—Andrew J. Bernstein and Erin Benner